SILLY BUT EFFECTIVE WAYS TO CURE HICCUPS

Hiccup is an unwanted and uncontrolled contraction of the diaphragm, which can be repeated several times during one minute. The contraction is followed by a sudden closure of the vocal cords, resulting in a distinctive sound.
Although the sound often causes laughter among the people present, hiccups are known to be unpleasant and irritating phenomenon, especially when repeated for a while. In most cases, hiccups stops after few minutes.

What can cause hiccups?

The most common reasons for causing hiccups are:

– Overeating or eating too fast;
– Strong emotions such as fear, anxiety, joy or euphoria;
– Consumption of carbonated beverages;
– Eating dry or spicy foods;
– Changing the temperature in the stomach (drinking a cold drink upon hot drink);
– Consuming alcohol in large quantities;
– Strong laughter.

What can you do to help yourself?

Hiccups usually disappear within few minutes. Only in rare cases it is a sign of a more serious health problem. If hiccups don’t stop within 48 hours, seek professional advice. There are many different ways that you can stop the normal hiccups. Some of them may sound funny, but it’s worth to give them a chance.

– Inhale and hold the air as long as you can. Take a deep breath and slowly count to 10 before you breathe out. Repeat 3-4 times.

– Drink cold water. Quickly drink 10 small sips of cold water, or do gargle with cold water.

– Eat a teaspoon of sugar or honey.

– Breathe into a paper bag. If you do not have a paper bag, cover your nose and mouth with your hands and breathe in this way for few minutes.

– Stick out your tongue to stop hiccups.

– Gently close your ears. Carefully close the ear canals with your hands or fingers over a period of 20-30 seconds. Many argue that this is exactly the “cure” for boring hiccups.

– Bite a slice of lemon or sip a little bit of vinegar. The sour taste stops hiccups.

– Lift your knees toward your chest and strongly embrace them.

– Traditional method! Take one teaspoon cumin seeds and swallow it with some water. Don’t chew them. The Hiccup will stop in the next 20-30 minutes.